George Paterson (Northern) holds aloft the Scottish senior men's amateur match-play championship trophy after his victory in the final against David J Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie) at Newmachar Golf Club today (Images by Cal Carson Golf Agency: click on them to enlarge).

David Miller has the honour on the 10th tee in the final .... George Paterson follows him.

Officials, players and representatives of sponsors Abbeyfield Scotland (Elizabeth Miller centre and Brian Highley second right) after the prizegiving.

By George! Paterson achieves career golf highlight

(so far) by winning Scottish senior match-play

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
George Paterson thought he had achieved a career golf highlight when he won the Aberdeen Links championship - for all ages - earlier this summer.

But George topped that today at Newmachar Golf Club by adding the Scottish senior amateur match-play championship to his trophy collection.
The 57-year-old Northern Golf Club member was 19th of the 32 qualifiers from the 36-hole stroke-play eliminator at the start of the week but came into his own as a match-player after that.

George, a regular on the North-east Alliance winter circuit, climaxed three days of the cut-and-thrust play at which he excels by beating David J Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie), the No 4 seed, by 3 and 2 in the final over the Hawkshill course.
“It’s been a great season for me,” said George. “I’ve won the Aberdeen Links championship, gained my first Scotland senior cap – and now my first national golf title. Becoming old enough to play competitive senior golf has opened a new, and most successful, chapter in my golfing life."
Barassie-based Ayr United football fan Miller, 55, looked to be the favourite to take the championship in his rookie season as a senior when he wiped out Paterson’s two-hole lead, gained with successes at the third and fifth, by winning the seventh, eighth and 11th where his opponent three-putted
But Patterson, who had holed a 15ft putt to halve the short ninth in par after taking two shots to get on the putting surface, responded to the pressure with another crucial putt. This one was from 12ft and dropped for a birdie to level matters again.

At that stage a sportingly well-fought final had all the makings of going the distance, maybe even into extra holes because there seemed little between the adversaries. But suddenly it was all over, only four holes later.
Paterson won the 13th, 15th and 16th with par figures to win by 3 and 2.

"I just couldn't buy a putt out there," said Miller. "I probably peaked on Thursday when I was several under par in winning my second round and quarter-final ties. In this morning's semi-final against Stephen Ellis - played in horrible weather of wind and rain - I won by 4 and 3 but I felt my rhythm was going and I never got it back in the final. I felt I played well to get to the final but didn't play nearly so well once I got there.

"And that's not to take anything away from George Paterson's performance. He holed some good putts, I didn't."

"Only" 55, David Miller looks certain to make his mark on the seniors' circuit over the next two or three years during which he has an age advantage.

George Paterson has another honour to look forward before the end of the season. He is in the Scotland team for the seniors' home internationals at Westport in Ireland from September 29 to October 1.
The Scottish senior men's amateur match-play championship, being played for only the second time, was sponsored by Abbeyfield Scotland, a charity for the elderly, providing housing support for the elderly. They were represented on the final day at Newmachar by Brian Highley and Elizabeth Miller.
Next year's championship will be staged at Kinross.

Friday's results:

Semi-finals
David J Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie) bt Stephen Ellis (Heritage GS) 4 and 3.
George Paterson (Northern) bt Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess) 3 and 1.
Final (18 holes)
Paterson bt Miller 3 and 2.